Charles lieb



C. LIEB. Machine for Stitching Books With Metallic Staples.

Patented Mar. 30,1880.

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N. PETERS. PRQTO-LITNOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D C UNirnD STATES CHARLES LIEB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR STITCHING BOOKS WITH METALLIC STAPLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,086, dated March 30, 1880.

Application filed February 11, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES LIEB, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Stitching Books with Metallic Staples, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents my machine partly in front view and partly in section. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 shows the wire-cutter detached. Fig. at is a cross-section of one of the feed-slides. Fig. 5 shows the needle-lubricating device.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

My invention relates to that class of machines in which a wire is intermittingly fed forward a certain distance and cut off, while the pieces so cut of are bent into the form of staples, then driven through the parts to be bound or stitched together, as the leaves of a book, and clinched.

My invention consists in certain novel combination of parts, hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

The letters A B designate two reciprocating slides, by the joint action of which the wire is fed or propelled in the required manner. Each of these feed-slides carries a set ofclampingjaws, c or d, which are hung on pivots c or c, and one of which is subjected to the action of a spring, f or f having a tendency to hold the same in engagement with its fellow jaw. The wire passes through between both sets of jaws c d, as shown in Fig. 1, and the jaws operate in opposite directionsthat is to say, the jaws 0 hold the wire during the forward feed movement and release the same on the back movement, while the jaws d hold the wire during the back movement and release the same on the forward movement. For a detailed description of the operation of these jaws 0 d, I refer to the patent of It. L. Brewer, No. 169,081, dated October 26, 1875.

One feature of my invention consists in providing the adjacent ends of the jaws c d with beveled edges 9 g, so as to form on the free end of each jaw a single bearing-point for contact with and feeding forward the wire. By thus shaping the jaws c d they are caused to bear on only a small portion of the wire and to grasp the same firmly, whether it be straight or otherwise, whereas if the jaws have fiat bearing-edges their operation is impaired by a twisted or irregular condition of the wire.

In order to cause the jaws c d to move in unison as they open and close, I construct one jaw of each pair or set with a tooth, h, entering a notch in the other jaw, this tooth being above or exterior of the bearing-edges g g of the jaws, as shown in Fig. 4, so that it does not interfere with the action of the jaws on the w1re.

It will be seen that by the tooth h the two jaws of each set are practically geared together, and hence both jaws obtain a positive motion, while a single spring only is required to each set ofjaws.

The angle upon the edges of the jaws d of the slide B is such that the jaws are adapted to out the wire between them, and for the purpose of producinga cutting action of the jaws I combine therewith a mechanism for closing the same forcibly at the proper intervals. This operating mechanism consists of a pusher, j, which is attached to a vertically-reciprocating slide, K, and which acts on an arm, 1, projecting from one of the jaws cl,- but the form of this mechanism may be changed.

By providing the jaws d with cutting-edges and combining therewith an operating mechanism said jaws are made to perform a dual function, and the construction of the machine is materially simplified.

The piece of wire cut off by the jaws cl dis caught by a grooved horizontal slide, N, abutting against a block, 0, and is then bent by the action of a plunger or former, P, which, in this example, is on the vertical slide K, carrying the pusher j.

The vertical or plunger slide K moves in a head, Q, in which moves also asecond slide, It, carrying needles 8 s, and which is attached to a horizontal slide, T, working at a right angle to the feed-slides. By this horizontal slide T the head Q is alternately set to permit the action of the needles 8 s on the parts to be bound or stitched-say the leaves of a bookand to permit the action of the plunger P; and when a staple has been formed the stapleholding slide N recedes, so as to release the staple, whereupon a second plunger (not shown) descends and drives the staple through the book.

In the motions of the head Q, together with the horizontal slide T, the needles 88 pass and repass the block 0 on its opposite sides. On the opposite sides of the block 0,1 arrange lubricating-pads u in such a manner that the needles 8 s touch and sweep across the surface of these pads in their movements from one position to another, and are thereby supplied with lubricating material.

The pads u are made of sponge or other absorbent material, and are supplied with oil or other lubricant, both pads being preferably made in one piecenamely, of a piece of material which is inserted in a hole in the block 0, so as to project at both ends of this hole.

To the horizontal slide T, carrying the head Q, I connect one end of a spring, V, the other end of which is connected to a suitable part of the machine-frame. This spring V acts on the slide T with a tendency to force and hold the head Q, and its attachments in one of its positions, which may be either an inner or outer position, according to the direction in which the spring is arranged to act.

The needlesls 8 work in guides 20 M, which are secured to a supporting-arm, Y, projecting from the head Q, so that the needle-guides move with the head and the needles, the result of which is, that the latter are sustained by the guides in either position of the head. In other words, the needle always remains within the guides.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the reciprocating slides A B, of the pivoted clamping-jaws c (I,

having their adjacent ends beveled to form on each jaw a single bearing-point for contact with and feeding forward the wire, the beveled ends of the jaws d serving to cut the wire between them, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with thefeed-slides AB, of the spring clamping-jaws 0 (I, one jaw of each set constructed with a tooth, whereby it engages the other or fellow jaw, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination,with thefeed-slide A, carrying spring clam pin g-jaws 0, of the feed-slide B, carrying the spring clamping-jaws d, having cutting-edges, and mechanism, substantially as described, for producing a cutting action of the jaws d, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of the block 0, having the lubricating-pads a, with the needles 8 s, needle-slide R, head Q, and horizontal slide T, the whole constructed and adapted to operate substantially as described.

5. The combination of a horizontally-reciprocating head, Q, and the needle-slide R, passing through the head, and provided with needles 8, of the depending arm Y, attached to and moving with the reciprocating head, and having its lower free end provided with needleguides 20 w, within which the needles are at all times sustained, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 9th day of February, 1880.

CHARLES LIEB. n s] lVitn esses W. HAUFF, CHAS. WAHLERs. 

